Cab structures associated with agricultural and construction machinery commonly employ one or more windows. These cab structures typically form the environment in which a person is situated during the operation of the vehicle. Many of the window systems used on cabs associated with agricultural and construction machinery employ latch mechanisms for opening and securing the windows, whereby the operator can directly access the outside environment. This is often necessary for controlling the temperature of the cab; however, even if the environment of the cab is internally controlled, it is often necessary for the cab operator to converse with other workers or to improve the operator's visibility.
Although window latching mechanisms are known to those skilled in the art for cooperating with and to provide a system for covering, partially covering or exposing an opening in a vehicle cab, these latch mechanisms have not been able to withstand the vibrational and jarring forces imparted to the latch (through its associated window) during the normal operation of the associated vehicle. This failure of latch mechanisms is due in part to the large force exerted on the latches by the customarily large, heavy windows associated with agricultural and construction machinery.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to increase the useful life of latch mechanisms used on windows associated with agricultural and construction machinery.
It is a feature of this invention to have a latch mechanism employing a shock-absorbing forked lever having one tine associated with the window and another tine associated with a window slide. The tines of the fork are flexible, thereby absorbing vibrational energy imparted to the latch during operation of the vehicle.
It is an advantage of this invention that when the latch mechanism experiences vibrational forces, the latch will break far less readily than prior art designs because of its ability to flex.